Life & Work with Nakia Richardson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nakia Richardson.

Hi Nakia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I am an Entertainment Journalist, on-air host, podcaster, content creator and TV producer.

Since I was a child, I had a love for entertaining and being in front of the camera and I knew I wanted to make that my career… I just did not know how to.

From acting classes to going on auditions at a young age, to being in school plays, joining the news broadcasting teams and creating my own radio shows in school, I knew this was my journey and I knew this was going to be my path.

I went to college for broadcast journalism but I had no idea what I wanted to study. See for me, I thought I didn’t need school and I wanted to hit the pavement running right after high school graduation but my mother and great-grandmother had other plans and I was sent on my merry way to college!

After graduation, I attended NY film academy and the NYU for Grad school but I quickly left after my first semester because I wanted to get t work!

I had a hard time getting jobs right after college but a friend of mine from school named Zenovia introduced me to her friend and mentor (Shekila), who worked for BET at the time and who was looking for a PA (production assistant) and that was my first introduction to working in production. While I was at BET, I had the opportunity to work across and work with many different teams and departments, I was hungry and I wanted to network badly!

Around the same time, while getting established in production, I attended my first professional red carpet for the “Think Like A Man” movie premiere.

Over time I brushed up on my interviewing and hosting skills but I also networked and was able to work on many shows in the production world.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It indeed has not been a smooth or easy road but what is? If you love something and you want something badly, you will work your hardest to make sure you will get all the things you want but it is never easy! I went through many trials and tribulations but I am extremely grateful for the struggles because they all became a learning process for me.

Even though things started off rough, it gets easier trust me!!! This industry is a tough one but it gets smoother along the way.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Currently, I am an Entertainment Journalist, On-Air Host, Writer, podcaster and freelance Tv Producer. I love my career and I never thought that I would be here. Looking back, I had an idea on what I wanted to do but I had no idea how to execute it. I am proud to say I am working in the field that I love and 10-year-old me would be so proud of myself.

As an On-Air Host and Entertainment Journalist, I get the opportunity to interview celebrities from red carpets, movie junkets and preemie.

I am blessed to have found my niche and blessed to be able to get my voice out on many platforms like hosting, writing, podcasting and producing.

The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
Yes! Covid 19 was hard on everyone and folks had to learn how to adjust properly. Working on red carpets and attended junkets, events and premieres we all had to learn how to adjust to working from home or even imagining of that could be possible. As much as I love working on carets, I truly appreciate zoom calls and interviews now! I could of never imagined we would all have to work from home and things like zoom, teams and slack becoming our best friends.

I also learned patience and learned how to pivot. Life and careers can be taken from us any time and we all have to learn how to manage life if that would ever happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/keykeyboomboom
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keykeyboomboom
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KeyKeyBoomBoom
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqckIHDKKPGm-KV8Hr3tPgQ?view_as=subscriber
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@nakiamonet

Image Credits
Photo Credits (all are mine)